This is the first of three posts dedicated to giving you some direction as to what strength training exercises to do during the week! If you are already working out, here are three great new total body circuits for you to try! Do these at home or at the gym! Use bands, or replace the bands [...]

Whether you’re doing free weights at home or a pre-designated circuit at a gym, you have to challenge yourself. If you want to see definition in your body you have to give yourself a little kick in the booty. With no trainer making you do four more repetitions or encouraging you  to increase your weight-load 5 pounds, you have [...]

This is a challenging push up will be the last exercise in the Tight Tummy series. Yet another way to add a balance challenge, this one is really going to isolate your intrinsic core muscles and build strength and stability. Medicine Ball Roll Push Up 1. Come to the top of a push up position with a medicine ball [...]

One of my favorite things to do with clients is to have them do a set or two or crunches so that they can really feel the work in their core. Right after the crunches, I’ll have them do a set of push ups. Having already done some core work, they can now really feel [...]

We’re starting to get into exercises now that focus not only on our core, but that will incorporate other major muscles groups as well. Renegade Row This exercise has a primary focus on a large majority of your back muscles but it’s also fantastic to build core strength and stability. 1. Come into a plank position with [...]

I love when I find exercises that mimic something we did as kids, like jump rope, that can make us stronger now! Medicine Ball Throw 1. Grab a weighted medicine ball. *If you don’t have a weighted one, a soccer ball or one of your kids toy balls will be just fine. *The weighted ball [...]

If you don’t have a medicine ball for this one, feel free to use a stability ball or even a weight. The twist alone will work your deep intrinsic core muscles, the ball is there to add more resistance and make it more challenging! Medicine Ball Twist 1. Stand in neutral and hold onto a weighted [...]

This is a great exercise to strengthen your obliques (the wall of muscles that line the side of your stomach). Standing Nut Cracker 1. Stand nice and tall with a bit of a bend in your knees – just enough to protect them. 2. Hold a challenging weight in one hand (use a water jug instead [...]

While I’m on a roll with balance exercises I thought I would throw another one your way! My grandfather lived ’till he was 100 years old. Amazing! And it wasn’t until the very end that he really needed a wheel chair or walker. I’m convinced he mastered this exercise! The Single Leg Point and Reach [...]

Single Leg Chop and Lift This is very similar to the lift and reach exercise I posted last week. Instead of lifting the weight over your head and bringing your foot behind you -you’re balancing on one leg and moving the weight with straight arms in a diagonal across your body. Once again, challenging balance [...]